Mighty Fine

The pace of Mighty Fine unfolds beautifully. A family is shown driving from Brooklyn to New Orleans, playing word games and in various levels of excitement over their impending move. The patriarch, Chazz Palminteri, is moving to be closer to his business headquarters, and while his wife, Andie MacDowell, and his younger daughter, Jodelle Ferland, are happy, his older daughter, Rainey Qualley, isn't glad to leave all her friends before the start of her senior year. Chazz buys an exquisite mansion, and everything seems to be wonderful. He's constantly in a great mood, he takes his girls out for a ride on the boat, he encourages Jodelle when she practices playing pool, but the audience is waiting for the other shoe to drop. There's something in the air. Is Chazz going to lose his job? Is Andie going to get a cancer diagnosis? Something bad is going to happen, and when it finally does, it explains everything.

This is a very heavy, well-acted family drama. Don't pay attention to any synopses or trailers that try to pass it off as a Little Miss Sunshine road trip. Chazz plays a rage-a-holic who terrifies his family, and his performance is remarkable. He's completely happy and enthusiastic, then when something sets him off, he's quite literally out-of-control. Afterwards, he looks like he barely knows what's happened, and when the realization takes over, he's confused and sorry. The cycle continues, and as anyone who's been on the receiving end knows, it's impossible to relax around him.

Adding a touch of sweetness and more than a touch of realism to the cast is mother-daughter team Andie and Rainey-mother-daughter in real life! This is Rainey's film debut, and she wears her emotions on her sleeve in a way that doesn't show her inexperience. Andie puts on an accent in this movie-to make up for Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, perhaps?-and she shows the underlying strength every mother wishes to have. If you can handle it, this is a great movie to watch for the acting.

Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to upsetting scenes involving children, I wouldn't let my kids watch it.

DLM warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. The opening credits are over a 'home movie' and use a shaky camera that will make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"

The movie is loosely based on writer/director Debbie Goodstein's childhood experiences with her family, so it's kind of based on actual events. Joe Fine (who is Chazz Palminteri's character) has a great sense of pride for himself and his family and that pride can take the turn for good and bad since he sometimes lashes out at his family. His wife, Stella (Played by Andie MacDowell who I also love) is constantly defending her husband's behavior since he is the provider for the family and it takes a tole on the children since they feel their Mother is kind of like a door mat since she acts like their father can do no wrong.

They have two children, two girls to be exact, named Maddie and Natalie. The oldest daughter is not afraid to speak her mind about her dislike for their father's behavior towards the family, while the younger daughter takes after her mother and constantly forgiving and defending him. The movie deals with the families struggle with their conflicting personalities and dealing with their relationship and bond as a family and the strain that Joe's personality and treatment of the family has on them. Chazz Palminteri is honestly amazing as this character and his performance truly makes the film shine.

I think Mighty Fine is intended to be a coming-of-age drama. It features a voiceover from one of the daughters in the film recounting these things as though she is an older woman now looking back on her past. However, the girls don't do a whole lot in the film and there are many scenes with the father alone because it's really Chazz Palminteri's movie. The main thrust of the story is that this father is a bit crazy and taking it out on his family. The way his moods shift so dramatically it feels like he might be a bit bipolar and he is also struggling with some significant anger issues. I also got the impression that he was spending money a bit too freely, but they never did a good job of showing his financial situation getting the better of him. If that's a key plot point you typically see bill collectors pounding down the door, things being repossessed, or at the very least the main characters agonizing over stacks of unpaid bills. I didn't see any of that in this movie, so I think it failed to deliver the story effectively. IMDb also labels Mighty Fine as a "Comedy" which I can only imagine is because of Andie MacDowell's laughable attempt at an accent. I've heard actors struggle with this kind of language work before, but this accent came and went with each sentence, and always made me chuckle when she overdid it and sounded like the parody of someone from a random European country. The rest of the movie is like a Lifetime drama, and not a good one either. The one positive was that Mighty Fine was short, otherwise it's not worth anyone's time.

I recently watched an earlier premiere of Mighty Fine courtesy of Mom Central Consulting. Many of us were able to enjoy a chat while watching the movie as well as a Q&A with the film's actors after wards.

Mighty Fine follows a family on the move from Brooklyn to their new home in New Orleans. Joe Fine, played by Chazz Palminteri, is eager to impress his uprooted family with a fine home and extravagant gifts, but when a his business venture and subsequent financial choices take a turn for the worse.

Will Joe's wife, played by Andie MacDowell, find the courage do what is needed?

Who was my favorite character? I'd have to say Maddie Fine, played by Rainey Qualley. Why? Because she was strong as best as she could be and doesn't back down easily.

Mighty Fine premieres in theaters on May 25th. Since it is only showing in select theaters, please check to see if there is a theater near you.

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I participated in a campaign via my site Momma Young at Home on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Mighty Fine and the distributor. I received access to an online showing of the film and a promotional item to thank me for participating.

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Like any truthful film it is a hard pill to swallow, but still a great story.

Mighty Fine tells the story of a 1970's family, who move from Brooklyn to New Orleans in search of a better, more prosperous life. The movie paints the picture of Joe Fine's (Chazz Palminteri) love for his wife (Andie MacDowell) and daughters (Jodelle Ferland and Rainey Qualley, Andie MacDowell's daughter in real life) in the beginning of the movie. Joe comes off as being articulate, free-hearted, charismatic, and funny to onlookers - classic signs of a potential abuser. However, a different story gradually and painfully unfolds behind closed doors, especially when it seems like Mighty Fine Fabrics, his business, is about to go under. The oldest daughter refuses to be oblivious, provoking her to rebel against her dad. The mother, on the other hand, tries to pacify her husband, not being aware that she's causing more emotional distress for her daughters. This poignant independent film is based on writer and director, Debbie Goodstein's childhood experiences. It gracefully touches a controversial, yet important subject that regards an abusive parent. It will hit close to home for those who have experienced this traumatizing and enigmatic behavior from someone in the past, especially if it is a family member. Also, this film makes the connection between economic uncertainty and its impact on people whose mental health is already precarious. I enjoyed watching this film, but it was a little disheartening to watch the dad have his family endure an emotionally exhausting and excruciating journey. Each person played their role superbly, bringing their character to life. The only thing I didn't like about the film is that it has verbal (with a small portion of visual) obscenities strewn throughout it. Therefore, I wouldn't consider or advise watching a movie like this with young children.